Funeral for Newton counselor announced, investigation continues

Newton police on Wednesday continued their homicide investigation into the death of Maggie Daniels by canvassing the apartment complex where the high school counselor lived.

Daniels’ funeral is scheduled for Monday in Cleveland, according to an obituary posted Wednesday.

Daniels, 31, was found dead in her apartment Saturday. Police have not released a cause of death or whether they have any suspects.

Police Maj. Timothy Hayes said Daniels was discovered by Annie Sifford, a neighbor at Windsor Apartments. Other news outlets have reported that Daniels was discovered by friend and former co-worker Addie Shuford.

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Shuford said she could not discuss details of the investigation, but talked about Daniels as a friend and counselor.

“She was (like) my daughter,” Shuford said. “I took her under my wings when she moved here from Ohio.”

Daniels moved to North Carolina in 2005 just after graduating from Notre Dame College near Cleveland, where Daniels is from.

Joe McCorkle, a janitor at Windsor Apartments, said he last saw Daniels around 11 a.m. Friday.

“It just tore me up to pieces,” McCorkle said of Daniels’ death.

McCorkle said he always referred to Daniels as “the schoolteacher” and remembers her as being “real nice” any time he waved hello.

“She was a good girl,” he said.

McCorkle said Daniels moved into the complex a little over a year ago, and he often saw her running outside, sometimes with friends. McCorkle said Daniels often left her door unlocked, something that’s not uncommon in the complex.

McCorkle said he thinks Daniels had a boyfriend who lives in South Carolina and visited her once or twice a month. Addie Shuford confirmed that Daniels had a boyfriend, but she would not discuss details.

In May 2013, Daniels received a master’s degree in counseling from Appalachian State University. She began counseling students at Discovery High School in Newton later that year.

Shuford said Daniels recently convinced two students who dropped out of Discovery High School to re-enroll. The students graduated, which Shuford attributes to Daniels.

“It just seemed very natural to her,” said Aron Gabriel, the assistant superintendent of the Newton-Conover City Schools district where Daniels taught.

“I think she really was like a hand in a glove.”

The obituary said Daniels had four siblings and described her as a “mentor to many.”